Wrapping machine



E. A. VAN WAR-r 2,241,751

WRAPPING MACHINE l med March 1', 1940 s sheets-sheet 1 May 13, 1941.

May13, 1941. EAVAN WART 2,241,751

WRAPPINQ MACHINE Filed March l, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IMaly13,1941. .E A,VAN WART 2,241,751

' WRAPPING MACHINE Filed March l, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN'roR ATT NEYS Patented May 13, 1941 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE WRAPPING MACHINE Edwin Alton Van Wart, Wilbraham.. Mass., assignor to Package Machinery Company, Springield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 1, 1940,. Serial No. 321,738

(c1. sas-'2) wrapped article being deposited against a xed 14 Claims.

This invention rela-tes to apparatus for producing rip cord packages of the type described in the application of Edward F.v Cornock, Serial No. 298,278, iile'd October 6, 1939. The package described in that application is primarily intended for cigarettes and includes a rip cord adapted to tear ofi' the top of the outer wrapper, which is generally made of one of the ltransparent cellulose derivatives. The rip cord described in that application is located adjacent the top of the package with its terminal ends buried in the corner folds of the outer wrapper, thus avoiding any interruptions of the continuity with which the outer wrapper is sealed. The inner end of the rip cord is adhesively secured tothe wrapper, but in order to position the outer end of the rip cord in a manner so that it may be graspedV easily the provision of special mechanism has vproved necessary. It is the object of the present invention to provide mechanism by which the wrapper may Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view, partially I broken away, of a wrapping machine of the type described;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are plan views illustrating successive stages in the production .of the first two tucks during the closingof the iinal end of the wrapper;

Fig. 7 is a section on line |-1 of Fig. 5, and therefore looking in a direction opposite-to thatv taken in Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a similar view corresponding to Fig. 6;

Figs. 9 and 10 are similar views showing succeeding stages in the wrapping; and

Figs. 11, 12, 13 and 14 are perspective details illustrating the progress ofthe wrapping.

The machine to which the invention has been applied for purposes of illustration is of the type described in the Smith and Wetsel Patent ,2,189,087, February 6, 1940. In that type of machine the Wrapper w is folded about the article a during the -continuous movement of the article along a first folding channel, the partially prior patent.

stop, here shown as a plate I5, with a trailing tubular wrapper extension indicated at b in Fig. 1. In order to have the tearing strip located in the proper position it is applied to the wrapper as indicated in Fig. l1 prior to the start of the wrapping operation. The manner of applying the tearing strip to the wrapper may be that disclosed in the Melhorn Patent 1,965,524, July 3, 1934, although in the present case the cut .shown at v in Fig. 21 of that patent is preferably made on an angle as shown inl Fig. 11 so as to cause that end of the tearing strip to t snugly within the triangular folds to be formed later.

As described in the Smith and Wetsel patent referred to. subsequent wrapping is accomplished during the continuous movement of the article along a secon-d folding channel at right angles to the first, the articles being conveyed along this channel by pushers here shown at I6 and carried by an endless conveyor chain as described in said As described above, the package is delivered against the plate I5 with a trailing wrapper extension b; and, as shown in Fig. 1, is about to be carried Ialong to the right by one of the continuously moving pushers I6 to have the wrapper extension folded down. Before the pusher makes contact with the package, however, a tucker Il moves ahead, as shown in Figs. 4 and 7, to turn down the first end tuck c of the tubular wrapper extension. This is the end adjacent that at which the tearing strip t is located, the

tearing strip being positioned, as shown in Fig. 11, nearly to one end of the article.

The tucker I1 has its front end forked as shown at I8, and has its wrapper contacting surfaces positioned nearer the top plate I9 than the bottom plate 20 for a purpose to bedescribed later. This tucker may be given a reciprocating movement parallel -to the line of movement of the conveyor by any suitable linkage which it is not necessary .to illustrate here. At first the movement of the tucker is faster than that of the pusher I6 so that the tuck may be made during the movement of the article. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the Itucker continues to gain on the package, thereby completing the fold and applying a sealing liquid as will be described later, and after reaching the position of Fig. 6 again returns to that of Fig. 1. Each pusher I6 is provided with a lip 2I serving to hold down the rst tuck c as the tucker retracts.

As the article moves to the right from the position shown in Fig. 1 the forward side of the tubular wrapper extension contacts a folder 25 v in position by a spring 38.

mounted on an arm 28 having a motion to be described below; the folder. however. being stationary during the period now being referred to. 'I'he pusher I6 forces the article past this temporarily stationary folder 25 causing the second end tuck d to be formed as indicated in Fig. 4. The folder then swings out of the way as shown in Figs. and 6. The mechanism for swingingv the folder and the reason for lthe movement will be considered later. With the folder out of the way, the package and the tucker I1 continue their movement, bringing the tuck d into line with a stationary plate 21. As in -the case of the tucker l1 this plate is located more closely to the top plate I9 than to the bottom plate 20. It has a tapered end 28 interiitting with the forked end I8 of the tucker i1, so that continuity will not be lost as the package passes from one to the other. The folder 25, as is best shown in Fig. 2, is preferably located close to both the top and -bottom plates so as to make a crease in the opposed triangular folds of the wrapper at this side of the article.

The folder 25 is given an arcuate motion away from the folding channel by the following mechanism. The arm 26 which carries the folder is pivoted at 3U to an arm 29 extending between the upper and lower runs of the conveyor chain and pivoted at 32 to the machine frame. The arm 26 also carries a gear sector 33 Which meshes with a second similar sector 34 mounted upon the pivot 32 but fixed against rotation relative to the frame. The arm 3| has an extension 35 carrying a cam roll 36 which bears against 'a cam 31 on a constantly rotating shaft, being held The path of motion of the folder is indicated at 39. While this path is approximately circular,I the described construction makes it possible to locate it so tha't the folder will clear the walls of the first folding channel with the pivot 32 in a position well at one side of the conveyor chains. This at the same time avoids interference with the conveyor chains and -by moving the pivot nearer to the cam avoids the use of a cam with excessive throw.

The tucker I1 and the combined action of the folders 25 and 21 creases the top flap e tightly against the upper plate I9, which is preferably spring pressed as is customary. The folders are, however, spacd away from the bottom plate 20 so that the lower flap f is left uncreased and the corner of the tuck adjacent the tearing strip is left open as will be apparent from Figs. '1 and 8. As shown in the latter figure the flap f is, upon continued movement of the article, turned up by contacting with a plow folder 40, the folder 21 being beveled as at 4| and the folders being spaced apart to provide a slanting slot 42 into which the flap passes. This slot merges into a horizontal portion 43 at a level above that at which the plow folder has turned down the ap itself. This horizontal portion terminates in a beveled end or abutment 44 which serves, as is best shown in Fig. 9, to bend the tearing strip t so that it trails behind the side of the package in a position in which it will be easy to grasp. The upper flap e is finally folded down upon the flap f -by a plow folder 46 of conventional form. In order to 'avoid excess friction upon the folded over tearcharacteristics in the method by which the sealing liquid, which may be a cement or a solvent. is applied to the naps of the package. The manner of applying the sealing liquid to the sides of the wrapper in the nrst channel need not be described as it may be the same as that shown in the Smith and Wetsel patent referred to. The tucker I1 is provided with upper and lower vwicks 50 and 5I which may be supplied with solvent as shown for example in the Langhammer Patent 1,915,499, June 27, 1933. These wicks apply sealing liquid to the upper and lower triangular portions which join the end tucks with the top and bottom flaps. Due to the reciprocating movement of the tucker it backs out away from the package and therefore the wicks do not come in contact with that portion of the wrapper which is to lie directly against the outer surface of the article being wrapped. In practice the article generally is enclosed in a printed wrapper, and some of the solvents employed as sealing liquids have a tendency to cause the ink impression to smear so that it is desirable to avoid any of the solvent coming into contact with the inner wrapping. The folder 25 also carries upper and lower Wicks 52 and 53, but as the package is continuously advancing past it special provision has to be made in this lcase so that the wicks do not rub over the central surfaces of the top and bottom flaps. It is for this reason that the arcuate movement previously described is given to the folder 25, and if it is desired to apply the sealing liquid in a different manner or to seal the wrapper by heat the folder 25 may be omitted and the initial formation of the tuck d done by the stationary plate 21. As the folder swings out it gives a slight additional rubbing'action of 'the wicks against the forward triangular portions of the wrapper, leaving smears indicated at 54 and 55 in Fig. 7. When the flap f is folded up it will be attached by th'e lower of these smears to the end tucks c and d. The upper flap e then being folded down, the upper smear 52 will cause it to be secured to the flap f. In addition a wheel (not shown) is supplied with sealing liquid in any suitable manner and acts through a slot 56 to coat the outside of the flap f. 'Ihe folders are grooved at 51 (Fig. 3) to avoid contact with the smear left by the Wheel until the flap e is folded down by the folder 48.

The mechanical structure of the parts having thus been described the particular method -by which the tearing strip is handled may beconsidered. It is desirable to have the tearing strip ,located quite close to the upper end of the package of cigarettes, since in general the wrapper w is not removed but is left on the article in pouch form. This location of the tearing strip is also desirable in order that its end may be turned so as to project beyond the package top into easily grasped position. In this position the tearing strip will have to pass out through the triangular folds or overlaps which join the tucks with the overlying end folds. Were the tuck c made fully rectangular, or in other words were the adjacent triangular overlap o creased down in the same manner as that shown for the triangular overlap on the other side of the tuck c, the tearing strip would be turned in towards the center of the side of the article. By leaving the overlap o uncreased when the tuck is first made it can later be folded down as shown in Fig. 13 so as to extend nearly squarely up the edge of the package, causing the tearing strip to emerge from the overlap in a straight line.

At the same time the tight creasing of .the opposed overlap causes the edge of the flap e to lie on a very considerable angle. so that when it is folded down it will not cover the tearing strip where it emerges from the overlap o. Were the flap e to be'folded down before the flap f it would be immaterial whether its folds were initially creased or not, since it could in no ,case cover up the exposed part of the'tearing strip. Due to the inherent difficulty of starting a tear in certain of the cellulose derivatives, however. it is desirable to anchor the flap f as firmly as possible in order to make sure that it will not be pulled loose when the tear is starte and for that reason the flap eis preferably ocated on the outside as shown. To facilitate tearing small nicks may be made in the wrapperadjacent the tearing strip if desired.

It should further be noted that the-exposed end v of the tearing strip is folded at right angles by the abutment M before the flap e is turned down. This folding of the tearing strip not only exposes its end for ready grasping but makes it possible to have the flap e located externally for reinforcing purposes in the manner describedabove. Were the tearing strip not thus folded its end would be covered by the flap e no matter how the creasing of the overlaps were handled, and it would be necessary for the ap f to be on the outside with consequent danger of it being pulled l loose rather than being torn.

What I claim is: K l

l. A machine for wrapping an article provided with a tearing strip which comprises means for supporting an article having a wrapper folded around ve of its sides with a tubular wrapper extension projecting beyond the sixth side, said Wrapper carrying a tearing strip extending around the article adjacent one end and in a plane at right anglesl to said sixth side and extending beyond one side of the wrapper extension, means for forming tucks in those sides of the wrapper extension in which the tearing strip does not lie, and triangular overlaps in the other sides, said tucking means being spaced from at least the triangular overlap enclosing the tearing strip so as to leave said overlap open and uncreased, and means for folding the projecting flaps into overlapping relation upon the sixth side of the article and for flattening against said side each of said uncreased triangular overlaps adjacent the end of the package to permit substantially straight emergence of the tearing strip lfrom the flap.

2. A machine for wrapping an article provided with a tearing strip which comprises means for supporting an articlevhaving a wrapper folded around five of its sides with a tubular extension projecting beyond the sixth side, said wrapper carrying a tearing strip extending around the article adjacent one end and in a plane at right angles to said sixth side and extending beyond one side of the wrapper extension, means for forming tucks in those sides of the wrapper extension in which the tearing strip does not lie, and triangular overlaps in the other sides, said tucking means being spaced from at least the triangular overlap enclosing the tearing strip so as to leave said overlap open and uncreased, means for folding the projecting flaps into overlapping relation upon the sixth side of the article and for flattening against said side v each of said uncreased triangular overlaps adjacent the end of the. package to permit substantially straight emergenceof the tearing strip from the flap, and means for' bending the projecting portion of the tearing strip into a line at' right angles to the plane in which the body of the tearing strip lies.

3. A machine for wrapping an article provided with a tearing strip which comprises means for supporting an article having a wrapper folded around five of its sides with a tubular wrapper extension projecting beyond the sixth side, said wrapper carrying a tearing strip extending around the article adjacent one end and in a plane at right angles to said sixth side and extending beyond one side of the.wrapper extension, means for forming tucks in those sides of the wrapper extension in which the tearing strip does not lie, said tucking means being asymmetrically located so as to crease the triangular flap thus formed opposite the' tearing strip and to leave uncreased the triangular extension enclosing the extending part of the tearing strip, means for folding upon the sixth side of the article and for flattening against said side the uncreased triangular flap enclosing the projecting part of the tearing strip, and means for folding the opposite flap into overlapping relation thereto, whereby said triangular flap will be offset towards the end of the package from the opposite ap, and the tearing strip will emerge straight from said triangular flap.

4. A machine for wrapping an article provided with a tearing strip which comprises means for supporting an article having a Wrapper folded around five -of its sides with a tubular wrapper extension projecting beyond the sixth side, said Wrapper carrying a tearing strip extending around the article adjacent one end and in a plane at right angles to said sixth side and extending beyond one side of the wrapper extension, means for forming tucks in those sides of the wrapper extension in which the tearing strip does not lie, said tucking means being asymmetrically located so as to crease the triangular flap thus formed opposite the tearing strip and to leave uncreased the triangular extension enclosing the extending part of the tearing strip, means for folding upon the sixth side of the article and flattening against lsaid side the uncreased triangular ap enclosing the projectingpart of the tearing strip, meansl for folding the opposite flap into overlapping relation thereto, whereby said triangular flap will be offset towards the end of the package from the opposite iiap, and the tearing strip will emerge straight from said flap, and means for bending the projecting portion of the tearing strip into a line at right angles to the plane in which the body of the tearing strip lies.

5. A wrapping machine comprising means for forwarding an article having a tubular Wrapperv i extension projecting therefrom, mechanism for tucking in the rear side of the wrapper extension, a tucker positioned in the path of the wrapper extension as the article moves forward, means carried by the tucker for applying a sealing liquid to the flaps adjacent the tucky made thereby. mechanism for moving the tucker out of the path of the wrapper in such timed relation to the passage of the article as will remove the sealing liquid applying means from contact with the remaining portion of the wrapper, and a stationary tuck holding plate positioned in the path of the wrapper beyond the tucker and means oprable thereafter for folding down the remaining RPS.

6. A wrapping machine comprising means'for forwarding an article having a tubular wrapper extension projecting therefrom, a reclprocable tucker operable to fold the rear side of said extension, a second tucker, sealing liquid applying means vcarried by each of said tuckers, mechanism to hold the second tucker stationary in the path of the wrapper to form a tuck in the front side of said wrapper extension and to apply a sealing liquid to said Wrapper in the region of s'aid tuck and then to movethe second tucker out of the path of the wrapper, and a stationary tucl.; holding plate positioned in the path of the wrapper beyond said second tucker.

'7. A wrapping machine comprising means for forwarding an article having a tubular wrapper extension projecting therefrom, front and rear tuckers each carrying an applicator for a sealing liquid, means for reciprocating the rear tucker parallel to the line of movement of the article, and means for moving the front tucker laterally of the path of movement of the article and means operable thereafter for folding down the remaining flaps.

8. A wrapping machine comprising means for forwarding an article having a tubular wrapper extension projecting therefrom at one side and having a tearing strip extending around the article in a plane at right angles to its direction of movement and projecting laterally beyond one side of the wrapper extension, opposed article guiding plates, tucking plates operable on the Wrapper extension to make tucks in opposite sides thereof, the tucking plate adjacent the tearing strip being spaced from the adjacent guiding plate a distance suicient to avoid creasing the wrapper and both said tucking plates being spaced sufhciently close to the opposite guiding plate to form a crease in the wrapper on that side, means for folding against the article that side of the wrapper adjacent the tearing strip, including said uncreased portion, and means for folding the creased side of. the wrapper extension over the opposite side.

9. A wrapping machine comprising means for forwarding an article having a tubular wrapper extension projecting therefrom at one side and having a tearing strip extending around the article in a plane at right angles to its direction of movement and projecting laterally beyond one side of the wrapper extension, opposed article guiding plates, tucking plates operable on the wrapper extension to make tucks in opposite sides thereof, the tucking plate adjacent the tearing strip being spaced from the adjacent guiding plate a distance suilicient to avoid creasing the wrapper and both said tucking plates being spaced sufliciently close to the opposite guiding plate to form a crease in the wrapper on that side, means for folding against the article that side of the wrapper adjacent thetearing strip, including said uncreased portion, means for folding the creased side of the wrapper extension over the opposite side, and means for folding the tearing strip into a line parallel with the direc-I tion of movement of the article.

10. A folding channel for the tubular wrapper extension of a partially wrapped article having a tearing strip secured to the wrapper adjacent one end thereof and projecting beyond one side of said tubular extension, including opposed plates, a folding plate mounted close to one of said plates and spaced from the other, a mem` ber forming with said folding plate a slanting fold-turning slot at that side of the tucking plate spaced farthest from the adjacent plate, a tearing strip folding abutment terminating said slot, and a second member forming with said tucking plate a fold-turning slot slanting in a direction opposed to said flrst slot.

11. A folding channel for the tubular wrapper extension of a partially wrapped article having a tearing strip secured to the wrapper adjacent one end thereof and projecting beyond one side of said tubular extension, including opposed plates, a folding plate mounted close to one of said plates and spaced from the other, a member forming lwith said folding plate a slanting fold-turning slot at that ,side of the tucking plate spaced farthest from the adjacent plate, said slot having a portion parallel to said opposed plates, a tearing strip folding abutment terminating the parallel portion of said slot, and a second member forming with said tucking plate a fold-turning slot slanting in a direction opposed to said first slot.

12. A wrapping machine comprising means for forwarding an article having a tubular wrapper extension projecting therefrom at one side and having a tearing strip extending around the article in a plane at right angles to its direction of movement and projecting laterally beyond one side of the wrapper extension, opposed article guiding plates, a reciprocable tucker operable to fold the rear side of said extension and positioned closely -adjacent the guiding plate remote from the extending part of the tearing strip `but spaced from the guiding plate adjacent to said extending part, a stationary plate located in the path of the wrapper extension and spaced from said opposed plates similarly to said reciprocable tucker, a member forming with said stationary plate a slanting fold-turning slot at that side on which the extending portion of the tearing strip lies, a

ltearing strip folding abutment terminating said slot, and a second member forming with said tucking plate a fold-turning slot slanting in a direction opposed to said first slot.

13. A wrapping machine comprising means for forwarding an article having a tubular Wrapper extension projecting therefrom at one side and having a tearing strip extending around the article in a plane at right angles to its direction of movement and projecting laterally beyond one side of the wrapper extension, opposed article guiding plates, a reciprocable tucker operable to fold the rear side of said extension and positioned closely adjacent the guiding plate remote from the extending part of the tearing strip but spaced from the guiding plate adjacent to said extending part, a second tucker, sealing liquid applying means carried by both of said tuckers, mechanism to hold the second tucker stationary in the path of the wrapper to form a tuck in the front side of said wrapper extension and to apply a sealing liquid to said wrapper in the region of said tuck and then to move the second tucker out of the path of the Wrapper, a stationary plate located in the path of the wrapper extension beyond the second tucker and spaced from said opposed plates similarly to said reciprocable tucker, a member forming with said stationary plate a slanting fold-turning slot at that side on which the extending portion of the tearing strip lies, a tearing strip folding abutment terminating said slot, and a second member forming with said tucking plate a fold-turning slot slanting in a direction opposed to said first slot.

14. A wrapping machine comprising means for forwarding an article having a tubular wrapper extension projecting therefrom at one side and having a tearing strip extending around the armechanism to hold the second tucker stationary in the path o: the wrapper to form a tuck in the front side of said wrapper extension and to apply a sealing liquid to said wrapper in the region of said tuck and then to mo've the second tucker out of the path of the wrapper, said second tucker having surfaces in adjacenc'y to eachof said opposed plates, a stationary plate located in the path of the wrapper extension beyond the second tucker and spaced from said opposed plates similarly to said reciprooable tucker, a-member forming with said stationary plate a slanting foldturning slot at that side on which the extending portion of the tearing strip lies, a tearing strip folding abutment terminating said slot, and a second member forming with said tucking plate a fold-turning slot slanting in a'direction opposed to said nrst slot.

ALTON VAN WART. 

